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The gritty, 1930s version of Spider-Man will star in his own live-action Amazon series.
Spider-Man Noir is about to get his time in the spotlight after it was revealed that Amazon would be developing a live-action series centered on the character who was first introduced in the comics in 2009. Created by David Hine and Fabrice Sapolsky, Spider-Man Noir takes inspiration from everything that spans across the Spiderverse, from having the same alias to the same family members and even the same bad guys — there’s not much difference in the general backstory of this version of the character. However, that’s where the similarities end in the comics, and that’s where things get darker and more unfamiliar to the lore of the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man that everyone knows
This version of Peter Parker is an adult, which means the high-school drama typically seen in Spider-Man is gone and replaced with a mature storyline. The details of the new streaming series don’t suggest anything about a plot (though the Variety report implies that Peter won’t be the main character), but it’s safe to assume this show will have a more adult feel than most Spider-Man content on the big and small screen have had up to this point. So what could a Spider-Man Noir series look like when it doesn’t include the namesake character as the man underneath the mask? To see where this live-action could go, it’s best to understand what the Noir series is all about.
Marvel decided to take some of its popular heroes and insert them into the 1930s for a gritty, Depression-era type of story. Among the heroes that received these four-issue runs, Spider-Man Noir was the most successful. Following the 2008-09 series that introduced the character, a four-issue follow-up was released that same year called Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face. A version of the character appeared in 2019’s box-office hit Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse, where Nicolas Cage voiced Noir, and a new five-issue run of comics kicked off in 2020 after fans really took to the vibe of the character in the movie. It’s no wonder Amazon sees an opportunity for success with Noir, but where could this series draw its inspiration from? Let’s jump into what we know about this version of Spider-Man.
Spidey Meets Batman and Indiana Jones
Though he’s based on the original Spider-Man character, Spider-Man Noir adds a healthy dose of both Batman and Indiana Jones to the mix. He has the same web-slinging, wall-climbing powers after being bitten by a spider God, which gives him the “curse of power.” His approach to fighting crime is completely foreign to the original character. His darker vibe can be attributed to the manner of his Uncle Ben’s death — a gruesome attack carried out by Vulture, who is a cannibal in this iteration, and Peter being the one to first discover the horrid aftermath. There’s definitely some Batman-vibes when it comes to seeing him handle business in the streets. Yet, Noir goes even further than the Caped Crusader as seen in Spider-Man Noir #4 (2009), he takes a gun and puts a bullet through Vulture’s head. It’s a scene that encompasses who this version of Peter Parker is, so much so that his Aunt May, who was nearly killed by Vulture in this scene, is aghast at the sight of her nephew using a gun. “The papers are right about you,” she says. “You think you’re above the law.” That line alone tells you all you need to know about this character. The first run saw Noir rely heavily on wielding guns as opposed to leaning into his web-slinger, a stark contrast to the norm. The follow-up run doesn’t see him frequent guns like he did the first time, but he’s still just as brutal. Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face #4 shows Peter on the verge of killing Doctor Octavius, even uttering, “There won’t be a trial,” as he is set to end him before the police come in and prevent him from taking Ock’s life. A callback to his Aunt’s assessment that he thinks the law doesn’t matter, it’s this line-pushing, gritty angle that should make for an exhilarating live-action portrayal.
There’s also the manner of his day job. When Spider-Man Noir first released, this version of Parker worked at The Daily Bugle with the likes of Ben Urich and J. Jonah Jameson. That remained true through his first two four-book runs before Into The Spiderverse had him take on the role of a private investigator, which carried into his most recent appearance in Spider-Man Noir (2020). Where the Amazon series decides to place him ultimately doesn’t impact who he is too much; even when he was with the paper he operated as an investigative journalist so the ethos of him remained intact. Having a private eye Spider-Man would make for an intriguing narrative and fits the mold of a popular show like True Detective and the similar avenue DC Studios is taking with their Lanterns live-action series. Noir’s detective work saw him embark on an international journey in his 2020 run, which had all the tropes of a classic Indiana Jones treasure hunt. That story arc’s culmination saw Noir face to face with the Underworld opening up and the villains he had previously defeated — including Goblin, Vulture and Sandman — returning for a final showdown. It’s a route the Amazon show could take as it brings together all the classic bad guys in the Spiderverse while presenting them in a unique light.
Classic Villains Also Get Twisted in Spider-Man Noir
There are a few intriguing plot points that would be fun to see carry over into the live-action portrayal. Goblin serving as a mob boss is a fun twist on the usual narrative just as him enlisting villains like Vulture, Sandman, and Kraven as henchmen. It’s a clever way of bringing a Sinister Six vibe into this gangster lifestyle. One of the iconic panels from Spider-Man Noir: Eyes Without a Face #2 is when Sandman has Spidey on the brink of a death in a gruesome, bloody beat down that is reminiscent of Marvel TV’s original Netflix content. There’s also a heavy emphasis on Felicia Hardy who runs the Black Cat club, which is named after her alter ego. She’s prevalent in the first two series’ as a confidant of Ben Urich’s, a former lover of Goblin’s, and an on-again-off-again fling of Peter’s. There are a lot of new takes on old characters which should provide plenty of ammunition for Amazon in bringing a new twist into the Spider-verse.
Ultimately, what Amazon needs to do is find a way to mesh the multiple runs of Spider-Man Noir and pick out the best parts of each. Keeping the grit and darkness of the initial series while using the private investigator angle introduced later on could make for a gripping episodic series. When it comes to a character like Spidey, where his backstory has been rehashed excessively, Noir should lean into the contrast it offers — the viciousness of its villains and the brutality that surrounds the titular character. Seeing how successful a mature comic adaptation like The Boys has fared on the network should give Amazon confidence in dipping its toes into the full-blown gruesome side of these Noir comics. How far they’ll go and what they’ll add to these stories remains to be seen, but it’s exciting nonetheless to see Spider-Man Noir getting his share of the spotlight after being a fairly new addition to the scene.
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